Planning Your Time

In Cappadocia, you can tick off the open-air museums, major valleys, an underground city, and perhaps a balloon ride in two to three days, but you may want to spend several more days just soaking up the entrancing landscapes and enjoying the region's unique lodgings. Outdoor enthusiasts who like hiking, biking, or horseback riding will certainly want to allow extra time.

Though Ankara is not considered much of a vacation destination, it is home to some significant sights and monuments. You could spend a day seeing the highly regarded Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum, saving some time to explore the historic citadel area as well.

Konya's major museums and medieval mosques can be covered in half a day—or a day if you include a side trip to the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük. If you’re in town in late September during the Mystic Music Festival or in mid-December during the Mevlâna Festival, add a night or two to immerse yourself in the mystical atmosphere. Konya also makes a good stopping-off point if you're traveling between Cappadocia and Antalya or elsewhere on the Mediterranean coast.